More than 700 Rotarians to meet in Kingston for annual conference

MORE than 700 Rotarians of the Rotary District 7020 are to gather at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston today for the start of one of the Rotary Club International's most prestigious annual conferences.

The four-day conference will see over 400 local Rotarians playing host to 300 of their colleagues from The Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, The Turks and Caicos Islands, St Martin and St Maarten, St Barthelemy, Anguilla, The British and US Virgin Islands as well as from the United States of America -- Georgia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Florida.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding will address the official opening ceremony of the conference on Thursday, following two days of Rotary's Presidents-Elect Training Seminars.

At a press conference on April 19, District Governor of Rotary District 7020 Errol Alberga said that while the theme of the conference is "The Future of Rotary is in your Hands", the group had also been promoting the conference with the 'One Love' tag line, channelling the popular song of Reggae icon Robert Nesta Marley.

"With so many countries in Rotary District 7020, it is a special vote of confidence for Jamaica to be hosting this year's conference which will discuss and define the road map for Rotary going forward," said Alberga, a noted Jamaican architect.

He said that the conference planning committee, which is chaired by Rotarian Dr Paul Brown, "has been engaged for over a year defining a programme of activities that ensures the work of Rotary gets done efficiently and effectively, while Kingston gets an opportunity to shine as both a business and leisure destination".

Alberga noted that in addition to Prime Minister Golding and Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, who will attend the awards banquet on May 8, 2010, a number of other distinguished Jamaicans will address the conference. They include Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, Dr Maureen Samms Vaughn, Earl Jarrett and Ibo Cooper.

He also acknowledged the support of main sponsors LIME, the Jamaica Pegasus, the Bank of Nova Scotia, Caribbean Cement Company, Jamaica Broilers, Grace Kennedy & Company Limited and Geddes Refrigeration Limited.

Noting that the Rotary Clubs of Jamaica last year celebrated "50 years of international service which has benefitted communities across the island", Alberga said that Rotarians are motivated by these achievements and the satisfaction of seeing the benefits of their labour accrue to their fellowmen.

He said that while 2010, like 2009, is proving to be challenging across the globe "Rotarians are not afraid of challenges as we continue to keep sight of our Rotary motto 'Service Above Self'."

"With all of our partners we will ensure that Rotary District 7020 Conference is a success for all Rotarians, for capital city Kingston and for Jamaica land we love," he said.

Source: The Jamaica Observer

UPDATE from PDG DICK: JANUARY 18

An old woman whispers a prayer while sitting outside her quake damaged home in Port-au- Prince, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. The woman was one of more than 100 old men and women living outside the home with no food or care other than an occassional bath from two orderlies who remained to help.
(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Another brief update.

We got 7 flights off the ground and in the air for Haiti today. Of those flights, 6 will go into Haiti directly and the 7th, the Caravan will do a second run from Inagua. We dropped in Cap Haitien, Les Cayes and Jeremie. The Methodist group was able to get 20 plus of their missionaries out on these flights

An old man lays on a bed outside his nursing home in Port-au-Prince, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. More than 100 old men and women were living outside the home, that was damaged during Tuesday's earthquake, with no food. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

One flight from the BVI arrived Cap Haitien around noon full of Medical supplies. They return tomorrow with one Orthopaedic Surgeon and his tools and medical supplies and one EMT. They will be clearing and going through to Port de Paix. Our Immediate Past Assistant Governor Eves Martial will be receiving him.

Tomorrow we are looking at 3 flights into Cap Haitien. We are going to do a trial run into Pignon tomorrow to see how it works. It is closer to Port au Prince and will eliminate the ground transportation cost for that distance south. The supplies will be sent on to Claude in Port au Prince.

An old woman lays on the ground outside her earthquake damaged nursing home in Port-au-Prince, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. With no food or medical care, some of the remaining 100 patients have already died of starvation(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

We have 2 very specific Medical supply lists that we are filling now for Port au Prince and Les Cayes and will have them ready to fly Wednesday morning. The balance of our donated medical supplies will be gone and we will begin to send the blankets and food as the main items. We do send in water but at $0.50 a lb it follows Meds and food on the priority chain.

(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

We have spoken to our Rotarians in Jamaica and we are making preparations to ship the big and heavy stuff from the US through Jamaica via Air Jamaica and onto Port au Prince. PRID Barry is working the details out on this with Dennis Chong.

Nathan is trying to get the Southern Command to agree to use some of their big helicopters to do a few lifts out of Port au Prince and drop in sites designated and distributed by Rotarians. Details to follow.

Our Team is doing well in Haiti given the situation. Pray for them as they work almost around the clock. Special blessing to PAG Caleb Lucien for his extraordinary efforts as the point person in Haiti for all these supplies.

(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

PDG Dick

UPDATE from PDG DICK- January 16

Doctors in a search-and-rescue team from Miami explained to Ajnor Amel, 55, right, and his wife, Lina Blanxfort, 53, that to save their son, Herby, 21, from the rubble they might have to amputate his foot. The team extracted him without an amputation, but it was not clear if he would have access to the medical care he needed to live.
Photo: Maggie Steber for The New York Times

A great day.

I am wrong, an EXTRA ORDINARY day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were able to communicate by phone with a couple of our Team in Haiti today, but our Satellite phones did not work. It did not matter we knew what we had to do. Claude Surena who has been one of our Primary Contacts in the Haiti disasters has been designated as the National Coordinator of the Health Commission they are putting in place.

That is a huge responsibility that he accepted at the insistence of the President Preval. Congratulations are due to him.

Our priorities Remain: Money, Medical Supplies, Blankets, Clothes, Shelter, Food, Water.

The Bahamas Clubs today collected in excess of 50,000 lbs of medical supplies, blankets and food.

We sent out 5 twin engine flights to Cap Haitien, of which 2 were scheduled to go on to Les Cayes. They were turned back to Cap due to rain.

Tomorrow we have 10 twin engine flights and 1 DC-3 leaving loaded with medical Supplies to be dropped in Cap Haitien and Les Cayes. We are working closely with the Methodist Ministries and they are bringing back departing missionaries on the return flights. We have another 6 flights schedule Monday.

The Jamaica Clubs together with their military connections are flying in supplies and returning with Jamaican nationals. Their proximity and the availability of these resources makes them extremely effective. They are coordinating the flights with inbound supplies and staffing with Claude Surina as well. Thanks Claude.

Many of the regions have raised large sums of money. As I said yesterday I have not had a chance to confirm these amounts but hope to do so for you soon.

I hope that the note below clarifies the need and importance of the fundraising by all of you across the District.

These fund raising initiatives are VERY important. While everyone wants to get or collect something to send, it becomes painfully clear very quickly that the challenge to get the stuff to where it needs to go on the ground is impossible.

The benefit to the most needy diminishes by the day. Many Rotarians can beg the supplies necessary but many more must do what they do in the fund raising department because that's what gets the job done. We will probably send $150,000 to $200,000 worth of goods down to Haiti in the next 2 days, but it will cost us close to $50,000 to do so. The $50,000 will get the goodwill on the ground where the needy will actually benefit and they will do so while the need is still there. Without it, we would have $200,000 sitting in a warehouse. A point to remember! Goods in a warehouse while they rebuild the port or arrange for shipping after commercial shipping opens will be too late for anybody.

Our container of medical supplies in Atlanta that was going to be transferred to a DC-3 tomorrow has hit a snag and further details will follow.

Our 3 Beechcraft from North Carolina are ready to go and we will coordinate that tomorrow.

PDG Dick

Vinette Zamor, who lost her entire family during the quake, awaits treatment outside the hospital.
Photo: Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

Update from PDG Dick - January 15

Photo: BBC News In Pictures

January 15, 2010

A Great day!

PDG Amos and family are safe! Ted Lazarre has been found and is ok!

A very productive day as well. Supplies and money came in in great quantities from everywhere. Our District as always did the extraordinary. One club raised over $39,000 at their meeting, and another one matched it!!!!!! Supplies and funds in every region under the regional coordinators is coming in quickly and in great quantities. Great work clubs and Rotarians. I am sorry that I can not give you exact figures but the funds are going to a number of regional accounts and I am not sure of everything and would not want to mislead you.

Still using Satellite phones to communicate. Caleb, Claude, Guy and Ted. This Disaster Investment has been a life saver. Some protocols to work out yet but generally what a great thing!

Photo: BBC News In Pictures

On the lighter side, we had one flight leave from Nassau to Haiti with medical supplies and a Doctor Ageebe and a Nurse Fountain. Not everything went as planned but we made progress. The plane got there with the supplies which were picked up, but we lost the Doctor and Nurse. OOPS!

We finally found them but the old challenge of communication was interesting. I got a mixed message that they had been dropped in Port de Paix. I could picture them standing on a vacant dark lonely runway looking for someone they may be comfortable staying with until they were found, but in fact they had been left in Cap Haitien at a hotel whose name they did not know and no phone contact for.

The good news is in texting them on their Bahamian cell we were able to ascertain where they were and it was the same hotel we had stayed at when we visited the Cap Haitien club so we were able to use the satellite phone and communicate with Rotarians on the ground in Haiti and by tomorrow at 11:00 they will be on their way to Pignon to help the wounded at Dr. Guy Theodore's Hospital.

The challenges remain that the Port is closed, the airport in Port au Prince is over taxed and on occasion has to turn flights away, and the communication systems are restrictive. We are working around those. We are working with District 4060 (Charles Adams) on a plan to ship by sea to the Dominican Republic and tranship over land from the Dominican Republic to Haiti. We need to overcome the availability of trucks, the boarder and the inland challenges but with their help I am sure we can.

Photo: BBC News In Pictures

In speaking to Shelter Boxes they expect to have 2900 on the ground over the next few week. 900 are there now, and 1000 are on the way with the balance to follow.

We have a container of medical supplies in Atlanta that is going to be transferred to a DC-3 tomorrow and will be in route to Haiti by Sunday. A number of relief flights from other countries have gone in as well. Our Jamaican Rotarians in concert with the Jamaican Government and Coast Guard have sent in an army of supplies and people and are continuing to build their relief efforts.

Photo: BBC News In Pictures

We have 4 flights (Twin engine) leaving Nassau tomorrow for Haiti followed by a DC-3 on Sunday. The 3 Beechcraft from North Carolina to Haiti are due early next week and we will have 4 planes on the ground in Nassau for the remaining 2 weeks available to us and all we need to cover are the fuel costs.

The Donor Advised Fund is set up and we have full exposure on the International Web Sites.

Tomorrow is another day!
Successes to follow!!!!

Another very proud moment for us all.

Rotarian Claude who has been one of our Primary Contacts in the Haiti disasters has been designated as the National Coordinator of the Health Commission they are putting in place. That is a huge responsibilty that he accepted at the ins...istence of President Preval.

Congradulations are due to him. Please do not email him any congratulatories at this time as his email is very busy and he is trying to get things done. Congrats Claude"

PDG Dick

Photo: CNN

OTHER NEWS: We've heard from ADRR Christian Inervil from Haiti who says he and his family are fine. He confirmed also that two other Rotaractors - Pierre Carisme and Dominique - are also fine. Let's continue to pray for them all- Kameika Fullerton Delisser (Rotary Club of St. Andrew North)

Walk For Haiti - Wednesday, January 20

Photo: James Wray -In Pictures: 'Haiti Earthquake Aftermath'

The Rotary Club of Trafalgar, New Heights and the entire Rotary family in Jamaica are raising funds for the Rotary District 7020’s Disaster Relief Fund for Haiti, to secure urgently needed humanitarian supplies and other pressing needs as identified by those on the ground in Haiti.

As part of this fundraising effort, the Rotary Club of Trafalgar, New Heights will be staging a walk-a-thon at Emancipation Park and surrounding areas in New Kingston, between 5:30-9:00 pm on Wednesday, January 20, 2010.

Photo: James Wray - In Pictures - Haiti Earthquake Aftermath

Walkers are being invited to bring a donation of $200 and a candle.

As many people as possible will be given collection cans, which will be used to solicit funds from motorists and pedestrians during the peak traffic period. Walkers will re-converge at the park for an evening of reflection, forming a human chain around the track for a candle-lighting ceremony.

Departing from Emancipation Park, the planned routes are:

- Group 1: Knustford Boulevard to Trafalgar Road to Devon House entrance and return

- Group 2: Along Oxford Road to Half Way Tree Road to Chelsea Avenue to Dominica Drive to Knutsford Boulevard and return.

- Group 3: Along Oxford Road to Belmont Road/Worthington Avenue to Trafalgar Road to Knutsford Boulevard and return.


Contacts:

Fabian Brown, Club Member and Event Coordinator: 474-2570, stpats94@gmail.com

Allison Hickling, Director of Service Projects: 331-4548, allison.hickling@gmail.com

Photo: James Wray -In Pictures: 'Haiti Earthquake Aftermath'

District 7020 Conference - May 4-8 2010 in Kingston, Jamaica

The 36th Annual Rotary District 7020
PETS, Assembly and Conference
May 4-8 2010
The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica

Click HERE for Registration & Accommodation Details